The death penalty is a broken public policy and unfair, said Denver Schimming, organizer of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
“The death penalty is broken when it comes to fairness. It’s broken when it comes to accuracy,” Schimming said. “The sentences are disproportionate when it comes to the mentally ill and geographically.”
Schimming will be the luncheon speaker at the NAACP’s third annual Criminal Justice Seminar scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Representatives from the Tennessee Human Rights Commission will discuss employment discrimination, and local law enforcement officials will participate in a discussion on racial profiling.
NAACP officials have sponsored the seminar for three years to educate people on their rights and how to file complaints, said former Chattanooga police officer and NAACP member Napoleon “Donut” Williams.
“We want to keep people abreast of what’s going on,” Williams said.
Williams said the seminar will give people an overview of their rights and how they can file a discrimination complaint.